Obviously, the Blue Water can be operated for less than the Intnl, such as only one set of equipment is needed to protect the schedule. Next consider that the Blue Water has the potential to sell a Lansing to LA ticket with incremental additional cost for handling that passenger onward to LA of "zilch".

To elaborate this point further by drawing upon an example from the air transport industry, how can, say, United Airlines choose to subsidize a regional carrier, such as Simmons Airways, to fly a puddle jumper from, for example, Muskegon to O'Hare with how about only four fares aboard? The answer is simply the expectation that one of those fares is flying on to, say, Hong Kong - and United now has that fare in their pocket with, once again, virtually no incremental cost to handle that passenger onward to Hong Kong (OK, I know that passenger could theoretically "interline" at ORD to, say, Cathay Pacific, but what air traveler beyond an "airfan" who want's to add another carrier to his mileage log, is going to 'interline" to someone else unless unavoidable?).

True, no one wants to see a loss of service, but when your back is to the wall (as it will be if not already there as the impact of 3/11 starts to be shown in system ridership declines) and one train is all there can be, you must look for the option that will maximize your revenue.